Foot-scraper



No. 6|3,|33. F. F. FoBAnE. FO0T SCRAPER.

(Application led Oct. 29, 1897.)

Patented Oct. 25, |898.

In ""/#A UNITED STATES FLETCHER FRANCES FOBARE, OF TROY, NEW YORK.

FOOT-SCRAPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,133, dated October 25, 1898. Application led October 29, 1897. Serial No. 656,818. (No model.)

To LLZZ whom, it muy concern.-

Be itknown that I, FLETCHER FnANcnsFo- BARE, residing at Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented a new and useful FootScraper, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is in the nature of a footscraper vsuch as are used in hallways and upon door-steps to scrape and clean mud and dirt from the shoes of persons entering the building.

The general object of my invention is to improve the construction of such devices,where by their limit of usefulness is extended.

With this object in view my invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, and afterward-speciiioally pointed out in the claims. n

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention most nearly appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a footscraper constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the same, taken on the line of the bolts which secure the scraper and cleaner together. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the same from front to rear on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the composite scraper and cleaner detached, part of one scraper plate being broken away to more clearly show one of the slots in the cleaner-plate. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the scraperframe, illustrating one of the grooves for receiving the composite scraper and cleaner.

Like letters of reference mark the same parts wherever they occur in the various iigures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings by letters, A indicates the base-plate, which will be preferably made of cast metal ,and have cast with it right and left extensions B and O and uprights D and E, connected by a cross-bar F. The inner sides of the uprights D and E, above the cross-bar F, are provided with vertical grooves G, in which my improved composite scraper and cleaner will be seated, the ends thereof fitting in the opposite grooves G of the two uprights.

My composite scraper and cleaner consists of two plates H and I, of metal, preferably steel, cut away, as shown, to form edges to scrape the edges of the soles of shoes, with upper edges turned outward, as at Il and I', and a central plate J, of rubber or other analogous material, clamped between the plates H and I by lneans of bolts and nuts K, the inner i plate J being provided with vertical slots L,

through which said bolts pass, and its upper edge being projected a slight distance above the upper edges of the scraper-plates H and I.

Mis a receptacle or box which is adapted to pass between the uprights D andE and be seated in an opening N in the base-plate, the bottom of the receptacle resting upon the base-plate and being provided with a downwardly-projecting portion O to rest within the opening N after the manner in which the extended bottom portions of ordinary boilers rest within the stove-holes. The top of the receptacle M when in position for use with the scraper is sufficiently below the cross-bar F to permit of the raising ofthe projected portion O of the bottom out of the openingN of the base-plate, whereby the receptacle can beremoved from the frame and emptied when desired and easily and readily replaced in position.

The various parts of my improved footscraper being in position, as shown especially in Fig. l, the scraper may be placed upon the iioor of `the hallway, door-step, or any other desired location, and is always ready for use, no matter where placed, the trouble and expense of fastening it to the floor being dispensed with.

To use the scraper, one foot-say the left foot-is placed upon one of the extensionshun in this case,the extension Bwhich will firmly holdthc scraper-frame in position while the rightfoot is being drawn across the composite scraper in the usual manner. In this op eration of drawing the foot across the composite scraper the metal plates will remove or loosen all caked or hardened dirt, while the cleanerplate of rubber or other analo gous material will perform the office of door= mat and thoroughly clean from the shoes all the matter not removed by the metal scraper- IOO plates. The scrapings are dropped into the receptacle M, which, as before stated, may be removed and emptied whenever necessary or desired. The continued use of the device will Wear away the cleaner-plate J much more quickly than the metal scraper-plates H and I. To compensate for this unequal wear and to prevent waste of material,I have provided the cleaner-plate with verticalslots L, through which the boltsKpass, and whenever desired the nuts can be loosened and the cleaner-plate adjusted upward, it being possible also to remove it and trim its upper edge whenever considered necessary. This adjustment of the cleaner-plate with reference to the scraperplates can be repeated whenever necessary until nearly the whole of the cleaner-plate is worn away.

The advantages attending the use of my invention will be obvious from the foregoing description of its construction and operation. Being provided with means whereby it can be temporarily held in position while in use, the utility of the device is greatly increased, it being possible to remove the whole device to any position where it may be required, thus obviating the necessity of having several Scrapers in different positions. The provision of the removable receptacle is also a great improvement, inasmuch as it prevents the accumulation of scrapings upon and about the scraper, as necessarily occurs in the use of permanently-xed Scrapers. With this construction the scrapings always drop into the receptacle, and the receptacle itself is easily removed, as before stated, for emptying.

The scraper-plates are made removable and the cleaner-plate made adjustable and removable not only with relation to the framework, but also to the scraper-plates. The

scraper and cleaner plates being the only wearable parts, provision may be made in marketing the invention whereby either scraper-plates or cleaner-plates or composite Scrapers and cleaners may be furnished separately to persons owning a scraper-frame.

While I have illustrated and described what I believe to be the best means now known to me for carrying out my invention, I do not wish to be understood-as limiting myself to the exact construction and arrangement shown and described, but hold that such slight changes and variations as might suggest themselves to the ordinary mechanic would properly fall within the limit and scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and'desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A foot-scraper, provided with a composite scraper and cleaner consisting of two scraper-plates, an interposed cleaner-plate, and means for connecting them together, the scraper-plate having the central portions cut away below the top of the cleaner-plate leaving side edges to scrape the side of the heels and soles, substantially as described.

2. A foot-scraper, provided with a composite scraper and cleaner consisting of two scraper-plates centrally cut away leaving side Scrapers, an interposed cleaner-plate, the scraper-plates having registering bolt-holes and the cleaner-plate having vertical slots registering with the bolt-holes, and securingbolts passing through the bolt-holes and slots to ad justably secure the three plates together, substantially as described.

3. The herein-described foot-scraper, consisting of the base plate provided with the central opening, the forward side projections, the uprights, and the cross-bar connecting said uprights, said uprightsbeing provided on their inner faces, above the crossbar,with opposite grooves, and the scraper-plate removably secured in said grooves, and the receptacle for scrapings, resting in the opening in the base-plate between the uprights and beneath the scraperplate, substantially as described.

FLETCHER FRANCES FOBARE.

Witnesses:

JOHN WHEELER, ELEsIDoRE FOBARE. 

